![]() Organizing castration campaigns and beach clean-upsĪfter returning from our initial visit to Tortuguero last year, we began to hatch a plan that would benefit the community, the wildlife, and the dogs. As an endangered species that is so closely intertwined with the livelihoods of the local community, Team Sloth felt impassioned to help restore the balance. In Tortuguero, they are attacking sloths as they move on the ground between trees, and they are also killing the sea turtles as they emerge onto the beach to lay their eggs. ![]() Unfortunately, dogs are now contributing to the rapid extinction of over 180 different wildlife species. A large outbreak of canine distemper this year threatened not only people’s pets but also raccoons, foxes, and even jaguars – a rare species that is already extremely vulnerable. The large dog population is troublesome for a variety of reasons. The dog population of the town now outweighs the human population 2:1, with 3000 dogs living alongside 1600 humans, and a lack of castration opportunities means that this problem is getting rapidly worse. The nearest vet clinic or wildlife rescue facility is over 2 hours away and can only be reached by a combination of boat and bus! These issues are exacerbated by the fact that Tortuguero is a small, isolated town with no road access and absolutely no veterinary resources. ![]() Thankfully in recent years, the economic benefit of the turtles has slowly shifted away from exploitation and towards ecotourism, but this industry took a hard hit in 2020 and many local families found themselves in difficult positions. Historically, the residents of Tortuguero used to sustain themselves by harvesting the turtles for food, trading the turtle eggs, and creating items to sell from the shells. Sadly, it quickly became apparent that the global pandemic had hit the village of Tortuguero hard. We were excited to be connecting and forming new collaborations with a range of different local conservation organizations in the area, and this trip was an opportunity to learn more about the problems in the region and to come up with mutually beneficial solutions to help both the people and the wildlife. Tortuguero is renowned as one of the most important turtle nesting sites in the whole world, and in particular, its white sand beaches are a haven for endangered green sea turtles. Last year Team Sloth were thrilled to receive an invite to visit the Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica. Tortuguero: Wildlife bridges, castration clinics, and more!
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